I hope everyone had enjoyable holidays filled with love and joy.  Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.  And, of course, have a wonderful year at the bridge table.   

The following PCBA members were elected to new three-year terms on the PCBA (Unit 141) Board. Note that there were more vacancies than nominees on the board, so a formal election was not required. 

New members who have not served before are Randee Braslow, Ed Kung, Susan Morse, and Stephen Vineberg. Estelle Bogart is a new member who has served on the board in the past. Existing members re-elected for an additional term are: April Apfelbaum, Wendy De Chadarevian, Mike Giesler, Bobbie Gomer, Howard Kahlenberg, and Bruce Lang. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact any of the board members. 

Table Tips:

Before you play, you and your partner need to fill out a  convention card. A convention card is just that: a card that shows the conventions you use along with your general approach to bidding (aggressive, conservative, traditional, scientific, etc.) and goes into some detail about your offensive and defensive bidding methods. The card also includes sections about your defensive carding agreements - your opening leads and signals.

The card serves two purposes: One, it tells your opponents what you play. Your opponents are the only people allowed to look at your card during the game (though clubs are somewhat lenient about this rule for the new player.) Two, making out a card allows you and your partner to get your understandings straight. Many longtime partnerships have improved just on this alone.

At first sight, the convention card can be intimidating. Don't worry about filling it out in detail. You'll see that it already has common conventions such as Stayman and Blackwood used by many social players. Dozens of other conventions have been invented to describe various hands, and you'll discover some you enjoy using.

Unusual conventions are shown in red on the card. Your opponents will "Alert" them by saying the word or using the "Alert" card in the bidding box. You may ask for an explanation when it is your turn to call.

Bids shown in blue require an "Announcement." For example, when your partner opens 1NT, you "announce" to your opponents your agreed notrump range. Most pairs use 15-17 or 16-18 high-card points; some pairs use more unusual methods.

Another duplicate practice is the "skip bid warning," which is used whenever a player jumps a level in the bidding. For example, you open a weak 2 ♥. Say, "Skip bid, please wait," before you make your call, or use the red Stop card in the bidding box. This allows your left-hand opponent recover from the surprise of your jump and an opportunity to rethink a level higher. The warning obligates him to hesitate 10 seconds, minimizing any information that might be transmitted by an immediate call.